When was the last time you planned some time to savor the silence in your life? Some of us are probably better at it than others! The constant barrage of things to do and the demand on our time can cause us to miss an opportunity to just . . . listen. We can’t hear well when we don’t have time to listen—really listen.
But, I know this can be easier said than done!
I recently took a trip to the mountains, and I was very excited to have time away. I was looking forward to being able to hear . . . from the Lord. But, excited as I was, I was reminded that it can take me up to one full week before I can even begin to feel like I’m on vacation! The problem, then, is that when the “typical person” takes time off, it’s normally about how long? You guessed it! One week! This means that by the time you and I start to relax, work and other demands are already calling you!
I think this is why it’s so important to be intentional about taking care of ourselves throughout the year instead of waiting until we are (nearly) exhausted to actually do something about it. How many of us find quiet moments during our day to pause and think? With emails, cell phones, televisions, traffic, people talking, and all other various forms of mind-clutter, it’s easy to see how we can lose ourselves in the tsunami going on around us.
Jesus was intentional about getting away, and He is our best role model. The ability to hear is critical to processing and being able to make the best decisions. As the writer in Ecclesiastes says, “There is a time and purpose to everything under heaven.” There is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7). There will always be things to do! But, you are worthy of self-care that brings you healing, peace, joy, refreshing, and hope. It’s like the oxygen mask on the airplane analogy—gotta put our masks on first before trying to help someone else! I pray you give yourself the gift of time—the time to hear . . . so you will know the still, small voice of the Lord calling you.
Until next time, my friend,
Selah . . .